Question 1

Which of the following statements about the Milky Way Galaxy is not true?

Accepted Answer

A)   It contains between 100 billion and 1 trillion stars.
B)   Our solar system is located very close to the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.
C)   The galaxy is about 100,000 light-years in diameter.
D)   One rotation of the galaxy takes about 200 million years.E) None of the above
F) All of the above

Question 2

Rank the following 4 items by how long it takes for light to reach us from these objects, from shortest to longest.

Accepted Answer

A)   Sun, Pluto, the Andromeda Galaxy, center of the Milky Way
B)   The Andromeda Galaxy, the center of the Milky Way, Pluto, Sun
C)   Pluto, Sun, the Andromeda Galaxy, center of the Milky Way
D)   Pluto, Sun, center of Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy
E)   Sun, Pluto, center of the Milky Way, the Andromeda GalaxyF) D) and E)
G) A) and E)

Question 3

When we look at an object that is 1,000 light-years away we see it ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   as it was 1,000 years ago
B)   as it was 1,000 light-years ago
C)   as it is right now, but it appears 1,000 times dimmer
D)   looking just the same as our ancestors would have seen it 1,000 years agoE) C) and D)
F) B) and D)

Question 4

On a scale where the Sun is about the size of a grapefruit and the Earth is about 15 meters away, how far away are the nearest stars besides the Sun?

Accepted Answer

A)   100 meters
B)   About the distance across 50 football fields
C)   About the distance across the state of Delaware
D)   About the distance across the United StatesE) None of the above
F) All of the above

Question 5

Based on the idea of "spaceship Earth," write one or two paragraphs explaining why it is not the case that we are "just sitting here."

Accepted Answer

Far from just sitting still, we on Earth...

Question 6

Suppose we imagine the Sun to be about the size of a grapefruit. How big an area would the orbits of the nine planets of the Solar System cover?

Accepted Answer

A)   the size of a typical dorm room
B)   the size of a typical campus building
C)   the size of a typical campus
D)   the size of a small city
E)   the size of a western state (e.g.,Colorado) F) A) and D)
G) A) and C)

Question 7

A typical galaxy is a ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   collection of a few hundred million to a trillion or more stars, bound together by gravity
B)   large, glowing ball of gas powered by nuclear energy
C)   nearby object orbiting a planet
D)   relatively small, icy object orbiting a star
E)   system consisting of one or a few stars orbited by planets, moons, and smaller objectsF) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 8

Which of the following has your "cosmic address" in the correct order?

Accepted Answer

A)   You, Earth, solar system, Local Group, Local Supercluster, Milky Way Galaxy, universe
B)   You, Earth, solar system, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Local Supercluster, universe
C)   You, Earth, Local Group, Local Supercluster, solar system, Milky Way Galaxy, universe
D)   You, Earth, solar system, Local Group, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Supercluster, universe
E)   You, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, solar system, Local Group, Local Supercluster, universeF) B) and C)
G) None of the above

Question 9

An astronomical unit (AU)  is ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   any very large unit, such as a light-year
B)   the average distance between Earth and the Sun
C)   the current distance between Earth and the Sun
D)   the average distance between any planet and the SunE) A) and D)
F) A) and C)

Question 10

How many galaxies are there in the observable universe?

Accepted Answer

A)   roughly (within a factor of 10)  the same as the number of stars in our galaxy
B)   roughly a thousand times more than the number of stars in our galaxy
C)   about as many as the number of stars we see in the sky with our naked eyes
D)   about as many as the number of grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth
E)   infinityF) None of the above
G) A) and C)

Question 11

Which statement about motion in the universe is not true?

Accepted Answer

A)   The mysterious dark matter is the fastest-moving material in the universe.
B)   Some stars in the Milky Way Galaxy are moving toward us and others are moving away from us.
C)   Except for a few nearby galaxies, all other galaxies are moving away from us.
D)   Your speed of rotation around Earth's axis is faster if you live near the equator than if you live near the North Pole.E) None of the above
F) B) and C)

Question 12

Which of the following is smallest?

Accepted Answer

A)   size of a typical planet
B)   1 light-second
C)   1 AU
D)   size of a typical starE) A) and C)
F) B) and D)

Question 13

One light-hour is the distance that light travels in an hour. How far is this, in kilometers? (Recall that the speed of light is 300,000 km/s.)

Accepted Answer

A)   300,000 km
B)   18 million km
C)   100 million km
D)   1.08 billion km
E)   9.46 trillion kmF) B) and E)
G) A) and C)

Question 14

How do the speeds at which we are moving with Earth's rotation and orbit compare to the speeds of more familiar objects?

Accepted Answer

A)   Earth's rotation carries most people around the axis faster than a commercial jet travels, and Earth's orbit carries us around the Sun faster than the Space Shuttle orbits Earth.
B)   Earth's rotation carries most people around the axis at about the speed of a commercial jet, and Earth's orbit carries us around the Sun at about the speed of a military jet.
C)   Earth's rotation carries most people around the axis at about the speed of a car on the freeway, and Earth's orbit carries us around the Sun at about the speed of a commercial jet.
D)   Earth's rotation carries most people around the axis at about the speed at which the Space Shuttle orbits Earth, and Earth's orbit carries us around the Sun at nearly the speed of light.E) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 15

Wendy measures a recession velocity for two distant galaxies, well outside our Local Group of galaxies. Galaxy A has a recession velocity of 35,000 km/s and Galaxy B has a recession velocity of 70,000 km/s. What can she say about the distances to those galaxies?

Accepted Answer

A)   She can't say anything about the distances to Galaxy A or B.
B)   Galaxy A is twice as far as Galaxy B.
C)   Galaxy A is four times as far as Galaxy B.
D)   Galaxy B is four times as far as Galaxy A.
E)   Galaxy B is twice as far as Galaxy A.F) A) and C)
G) B) and E)

Question 16

The number of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy is approximately ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   a few hundred
B)   a few hundred thousand
C)   a few hundred billion
D)   a few hundred millionE) A) and B)
F) B) and C)

Question 17

Consider the following statement, and explain whether or not it is sensible: NASA hopes to build a new telescope that will allow us to see some galaxies as they appeared 8 billion years ago.

Accepted Answer

Sensible: By looking to a dist...

Question 18

What do we mean when we say that the universe is expanding?

Accepted Answer

A)   Everything in the universe is gradually growing in size.
B)   Within galaxies, average distances between star systems are increasing with time.
C)   The statement is not meant to be literal; rather, it means that our knowledge of the universe is growing.
D)   Average distances between galaxies are increasing with time.E) A) and D)
F) None of the above

Question 19

From the fact that virtually every galaxy is moving away from us and more distant galaxies are moving away from us at a faster rate than closer ones, we conclude that

Accepted Answer

A)   the Milky Way Galaxy is expanding.
B)   we are located at the center of the universe.
C)   the farthest galaxies will eventually be moving faster than the speed of light.
D)   the universe is expanding.
E)   the universe is shrinking.F) A) and B)
G) B) and D)

Question 20

According to current scientific estimates, when did the Big Bang occur?

Accepted Answer

A)   About 10 billion years ago
B)   About 4.5 billion years ago
C)   About 14 billion years ago
D)   About 20 billion years ago
E)   About 65 million years agoF) B) and C)
G) B) and E)

Exam 1: Our Place in the Universe

What do we mean when we say that the universe is expanding?

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The number of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy is approximately ________.

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Based on the idea of "spaceship Earth," write one or two paragraphs explaining why it is not the case that we are "just sitting here."

Correct AnswerverifiedFar from just sitting still, we on Earth...View AnswerShow Answer

How many galaxies are there in the observable universe?

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Which of the following is smallest?

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On a scale where the Sun is about the size of a grapefruit and the Earth is about 15 meters away, how far away are the nearest stars besides the Sun?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

One light-hour is the distance that light travels in an hour. How far is this, in kilometers? (Recall that the speed of light is 300,000 km/s.)

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Suppose we imagine the Sun to be about the size of a grapefruit. How big an area would the orbits of the nine planets of the Solar System cover?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

According to current scientific estimates, when did the Big Bang occur?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How do the speeds at which we are moving with Earth's rotation and orbit compare to the speeds of more familiar objects?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following has your "cosmic address" in the correct order?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

From the fact that virtually every galaxy is moving away from us and more distant galaxies are moving away from us at a faster rate than closer ones, we conclude that

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Rank the following 4 items by how long it takes for light to reach us from these objects, from shortest to longest.

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A typical galaxy is a ________.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Consider the following statement, and explain whether or not it is sensible: NASA hopes to build a new telescope that will allow us to see some galaxies as they appeared 8 billion years ago.

Correct AnswerverifiedSensible: By looking to a dist...View AnswerShow Answer

Which of the following statements about the Milky Way Galaxy is not true?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which statement about motion in the universe is not true?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When we look at an object that is 1,000 light-years away we see it ________.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

An astronomical unit (AU) is ________.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Wendy measures a recession velocity for two distant galaxies, well outside our Local Group of galaxies. Galaxy A has a recession velocity of 35,000 km/s and Galaxy B has a recession velocity of 70,000 km/s. What can she say about the distances to those galaxies?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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Far from just sitting still, we on Earth...
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Sensible: By looking to a dist...
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